Surprise! The People Speak

Michael Duke is the Big Wally of Walmart. As CEO of the low-wage
behemoth, he siphons some $19 million a year in personal pay from the
global retailer.

How much is $19 million? Let's break it down in terms that Duke's own
workforce can appreciate. While Big Wally's workers average about $9.50
an hour, Duke's pay comes to about $9,500 an hour. He pockets as much
in two hours as Walmart workers make in a whole year!

But WalMart doesn't give a damn about such gross pay gaps between
privileged elites and the rest of us. As a spokesman scoffed, "I don't
think Mike Duke...needs me to defend his compensation package."

Really? If not you, who?

Those who think that the hoi polloi don't notice or care
about America's growing income disparity, should take a peek at a recent
opinion survey run by the right-wing, corporate-funded Peter G.
Peterson Foundation. This outfit intended to show that the general
public backs the tea party's agenda of slashing government spending,
which includes balancing the federal budget by putting Social Security
and Medicare on the chopping block.

But--whoops-a daisy--the survey of thousands of Americans went badly
wrong for the Peterson ideologues. Far from wanting to gut Social
Security payments, 85 percent of those interviewed favored extending the
program. They want the rich to pay a tax on their whole salary which
goes into the fund, like all the rest of us.

And--hey, Mike--this one's for you: nearly six out of 10 of the folks
involved in the foundation's "America Speaks" survey want a new, higher
tax bracket to make millionaires pay their fair share of providing for
the common good.

The foundation tried to bury these surprisingly progressive results, but didn't succeed. You can read a good analysis of them at the Center for Economic Policy and Research: www.cepr.net.

Further

Academics are increasingly, ingeniously fighting back against an Orwellian "Professor Watchlist" aimed at exposing "radical" teachers. The list has inspired online trolls to name their own suspects - Albus Dumbledore, Dr. Pepper, Mr. Spock - and a Watchlist Redux to honor not trash targets from Jesus to teachers daring to "think critically about power." Now 100 Notre Dame professors have asked to join the list in solidarity, proclaiming, "We wish to be counted among those you are watching."